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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · ground · cell · vault · deal · trunk

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — to protest
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com